I'm a sucker for memoirs about experiments, I hope to write my own someday. Possibly about my experiment in reading them and then doing strange things as a result. Although this one I just finished by Cami Walker, "29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life," wasn't strange like the others. It was more of a spiritual memoir, don't get me started on how much I love those, which I really appreciated. Walker is battling MS and writes of her journey of dealing with the disease and healing through giving. The results weren't suprising, she felt better and experienced more love and mindfulness. Even though it wasn't unpredictable, read the book and I will highlight a few of my favorite lessons of hers:
- "When I give from a place of self-centeredness as opposed to self-love, I become isolated and lonely and I forget I am part of a greater whole. The last thing I want to do is give."
- "I rarely move back into a place of scarcity when I remember to give mindfully each day."
- "Selflessness does not mean giving of myself to the extent that I am left depleted."
Since finishing the book I've found a been more likely to give openly...sorting bags of compost and recyclables after an event, helping a lost dog find its way home, and in general offering my help where I can. Sometimes I don't believe love is what changes the world, instead just the actions it inspires.
Today I'm grateful for Cami Walker, 29 Gifts, and giving.
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